University of Illinois Extension is offering another education opportunity for farm women. After attending five sessions of Annie's Project- Education for Farm Women, participants indicated a preference for additional in-depth market risk management training. To fulfill this need we our offering a one day commodity marketing workshop with Clarence Grant, Marketing Manager for Carroll Service Co. This workshop will be offered on April 4^th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Naaman Diehl Auditorium in Mt. Carroll.

The workshop fee is $20 per person with a discount available for Annie's graduates. Pre-registration is required by March 28th. Please bring along your Grain Marketing Tool Box handout from Annie's and a calculator. Handouts will be provided for first time attendees. Lunch and handouts included in registration fee. For more information or to obtain a program flyer, contact Carroll County Extension at 815-244-9444 or email seoconno@uiuc.edu.

The spring series of University of Illinois Extension's Four Seasons Gardening program gets underway this month. The first session of the series is titled Orchids 101.

The program will be held at the Mt. Carroll Extension Office Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 1:00 pm. or Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 7:00 pm or in the Elizabeth Extension Office Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 1:00 pm. Jennifer Schultz, U of I Extension horticulture educator, will present the program via teleconference. The seminar focuses on the basics of growing and caring for orchids and features a color slide presentation accompanied by the voice of the instructor as people from throughout the state participate. Other topics in the spring series include Containers with Pizzazz, set for April 22 and 24, and A Palette of Annuals: A to Z on May 6 and 8.

Cost per session is $5.00/person. Advance registration is needed. Phone 815-244-9444 to attend in Mt. Carroll or 815-858-2273 to attend in Elizabeth. If you have disability needs, please indicate when registering.

We are pleased to bring you the popular discussion and lecture series, "Take 5 for the Environment" for 2008. This year, the sessions include a variety of speakers with an array of topics that will keep you up-to-date and informed about local environmental issues and conservation practices. The talks are FREE and open to the public. Complimentary refreshments will be provided. Pre-registration is encouraged one week in advance to ensure availability of handouts. A donation at the door is encouraged to defray the cost of program materials. Programs run from 1:00– 3:00 p.m. at the Elizabeth Community Building. To register, learn more about this event, or find out more about the programs contact the Jo Daviess Extension Office at 815-858-2273.

April 12: Ecosystem Services Provided by Birds

May 4: Water Sustainability in the Midwest

Northwestern Illinois residents and farmers will have two chances to recycle their unwanted used oil. This year's annual collection is April 12. The collection will start at the Stockton Napa, Route 20, at 8:30 a.m. and close at that location 10:00 a.m. and then re-open 11:30 a.m. at Louie's Trenching, Route 20, east of Galena. The collection will end at 1:00 p.m. Louie's Trenching is located just off Route 20 behind First Community Bank, and across from The Irish Cottage.

There is no cost to participate and the program is open to northwestern Illinois residents and farmers but not to commercial businesses. No oil mixed with antifreeze, pesticides, water or other contaminants can be accepted. Participants are responsible for the proper disposal of their used oil containers. For more information, contact Mark Maidak, Jo-Carroll Extension Unit Leader, 815-244-9444. This program is co-sponsored by the Jo-Carroll Solid Waste Agency and University of Illinois Extension.

Saturday, April 5 • 8:30 a.m.–Noon

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Elizabeth Community Building, U.S. Route 20

(Located next to Highland Community College West, just west of downtown Elizabeth, IL)

Learn about the Eastern Bluebird, how people saved it from near extinction, and how you can attract this "gem of blue" to your yard. There will be free handouts, and bluebird boxes and books for sale.

Co-sponsored by the Conservation Guardians of Northwest Illinois, Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation,

University of Illinois Extension and Wild Birds Unlimited.

For more information about this free workshop, call Jo Daviess County Extension at 815-858-2273 or call Wild Birds Unlimited at 815-777-2883.

Bring your outdated, working or nonworking, electronics and other household appliances to the electronics recycling collection April 26 in Warren at Hartzell's Family Foods, 9:00 a.m. until noon. This collection event is open to both residents and businesses in northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin areas.

Although most items may be dropped off for free, there is a $5 charge for computer monitors and televisions. Large appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, washers and dryers, and hot water heaters have a fee of $10.00 each. Console type televisions and radios and large screen televisions have a higher cost.

A partial list of items accepted include: hard drives, monitors, keyboards, printers, scanners, telephones, cell phones, fax machines, photocopiers, calculators, TVs, radios, stereos, boom boxes, VCRs, DVD players, microwaves, blenders, toasters, fans and window air conditioners.

The collections are sponsored by the Jo-Carroll Solid Waste Agency, University of Illinois Extension. Please direct questions regarding the event to Maggie Friedenbach, Recycling & Conservation Project Coordinator, at 815-244-9444.